12 Magical Winter Destinations Around the World for 2026-2027

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Winter travel has always been my favorite way to see the world. There’s something about a city covered in snow, a frozen lake in the mountains, or a warm beach while everyone back home is freezing that makes a trip feel more memorable. I’ve put together my picks for the best places to visit in winter 2026-2027, from European city breaks to tropical escapes and everything in between.

Every destination on this list is somewhere I’ve been and would go back to. Some are classic winter choices like the Swiss Alps and Scandinavian capitals, and others are warm-weather escapes for travelers who’d rather skip the cold entirely. I’ve included what to do, when to go, and which events to time your trip around.

Best places to visit in winter at a glance

I get asked all the time for a quick answer on where to go in winter. These five are what I come back to every time. They range from a tiny Austrian village to the Caribbean, and between them they cover pretty much every kind of winter traveler.

1. Copenhagen, Denmark: Candlelit cafés, incredible food, and the Copenhagen Light Festival lighting up the canals every February
2. Hallstatt, Austria: A tiny car-free alpine village on a lake, with the UNESCO-recognized Glöcklerlauf lantern procession on January 5
3. Seoul, South Korea: Cheap, packed with street food, and the Seoul Lantern Festival runs along Cheonggyecheon Stream through January
4. St. Lucia: Dry season from December through April, warm Caribbean water, and the Pitons as your backdrop
5. St. Moritz, Switzerland: World-class skiing, the Snow Polo World Cup on the frozen lake in January, and White Turf horse racing in February

I’ve pinned all 12 winter destinations on the map below so you can see where they sit and how they connect. Save it to your phone if you’re in the planning stage. It makes building a route and comparing options a lot easier!

1. Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen is my number one winter city recommendation in Europe. The Danish café and food culture is perfectly set up for cold months, and there’s enough going on to fill a long weekend without padding your itinerary. Tivoli Gardens is the obvious starting point for Christmas markets and lights, and in February, the Copenhagen Light Festival brings interactive installations across the canals and public squares.

The advantage of a winter visit to Copenhagen is the price. Hotels are significantly cheaper between January and March, and you’ll walk straight into places that have hour-long waits in peak season. For lunch, get smørrebrød near Nyhavn (I recommend Told & Snaps). These are traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches, and they’re one of the first things I point people toward. I’d also strongly recommend trying a harbor sauna and cold plunge. I was nervous my first time but now it’s a highlight of every winter trip to Scandinavia!

• Read next: Incredible Things to Do in Copenhagen
• You may also like: Most Beautiful Places in Denmark

2. Dublin, Ireland

Dublin doesn’t get enough credit as a winter destination. The weather is mild by northern European standards, flights are cheap between January and March, and the city’s personality comes through stronger without the summer tourist crowds. Dublin Winter Lights runs through December with projections and installations across 20+ city center landmarks. In late January, TradFest Temple Bar takes over the Temple Bar district with traditional and folk music sessions in historic pubs and churches.

I’d send anyone who loves live music and good food to Dublin in winter. Spend a morning on the Howth Cliff Walk, explore Dublin Castle and Trinity College Library without queues, and plan your evenings around whatever pub has a trad session going. If you want to do something local, head to the Forty Foot in Sandycove for a cold-water swim. It’s an Irish tradition that’s been running for centuries and one of the more memorable things I’ve done on a winter trip.

• Read next: Epic Places to Visit in Ireland

3. Greenland

If every other destination on this list is a winter postcard, Greenland is a different planet. The landscapes here are raw and enormous in a way that photos can’t prepare you for, and winter is when the country is at its most impressive. The Northern Lights are visible from September through April, with some of the best viewing conditions on Earth around Kangerlussuaq and Nuuk thanks to minimal light pollution. Visit in early March and you can catch the Nuuk Snow Fest, where teams carve snow sculptures by hand while the city hosts live music and light displays.

I’d recommend Greenland to experienced travelers who want something they’ll talk about for years. This isn’t a poolside-cocktail kind of trip. You’ll be dog sledding near Ilulissat, snowmobiling across frozen sea ice in Disko Bay, and standing in places where the only sound is wind. It takes effort to get here and you’ll need to plan ahead, but I’ve never come back from a winter trip feeling more affected by where I’d been.

• Read next: Spectacular Spots in the Arctic Circle

4. Hallstatt, Austria

Hallstatt is a place I keep recommending for short winter breaks. It’s a small lakeside village in the Austrian Alps with no cars and about 800 residents. In winter, it’s covered in snow and very peaceful. I recommend it to anyone who wants a few slow days somewhere beautiful without needing a packed itinerary.

The annual Christmas market on December 8, 2026, is a single-day event in the Marktplatz with smoked fish from Lake Hallstatt, Glühwein, and hand-carved nativity figures made by local students. If you visit on January 5, 2027, the Glöcklerlauf is a centuries-old procession where villagers carry huge handmade paper lanterns lit by candles through the streets. It’s UNESCO-recognized and one of the best winter festivals I’ve been to in Europe.

I’d plan for two or three nights. Take the Krippenstein cable car up for snowshoeing or winter hiking with views over the valley, and visit the Dachstein Ice Cave. Salzburg is an hour by train, so it’s easy to combine both in one trip. Hotel prices drop after the holidays, and January through March is when you’ll have the village to yourself.

• Read next: Breathtaking Places in Austria
• You may also like: Hallstatt Bucket List

5. Honolulu, Hawaii

If winter for you means escaping the cold, Honolulu is the answer! It’s 75-80°F through December and January and the beaches are open year-round. You can be surfing at Waikiki Beach or hiking Diamond Head in a t-shirt while everyone back home is shoveling snow.

Winter is also peak season on the North Shore. From November 13 until December 14, 2026, the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing brings the world’s best surfers to compete on massive swells at Pipeline, Sunset Beach, and Haleiwa. Even if you’ve never watched competitive surfing, seeing those waves in person is something else.

I’d also recommend booking a whale-watching boat out of Honolulu harbor. Thousands of humpback whales migrate to the waters around Oahu every winter, and daily charters run from December through April. I watched humpbacks breaching from the boat and it was one of the highlights of my trip. Between the surfing, the whale watching, and the fact that you’re on a beach in December, Honolulu is a no-brainer if warm weather is what you’re after.

• Read next: Stunning & Affordable Places to Fly from Honolulu
• You may also like: Picture-Perfect Places in Hawaii

6. Kennebunkport, Maine

Kennebunkport is a tiny Maine harbor town and one of my favorite places to visit in December. The whole town revolves around Christmas Prelude, a 10-day festival that runs across the first two weekends of the month. They build a Christmas tree out of lobster crates, Santa pulls up on a lobster boat, and Dock Square hosts bonfires, caroling, and craft fairs every evening. I haven’t found a more authentically New England holiday experience anywhere.

The rest of winter is all about slowing down. Walk Gooch’s Beach when there’s snow on the sand and nobody else around, snowshoe through the pine trails at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, and eat lobster at a harborside restaurant without booking weeks ahead. I usually stay two nights and keep it simple. It’s a small place and that’s the whole appeal.

• Read next: Bucket List-Worthy Places in Maine

7. The Maldives

December through April is when the Maldives has its best weather. Dry season brings clear skies, calm seas, and underwater visibility around 30 meters, which makes it prime time for diving and snorkeling. Head to Ari Atoll or Baa Atoll if you want to swim with manta rays, whale sharks, and sea turtles.

I know the Maldives isn’t accessible for every budget, but if warm-weather winter escapes are your thing, this is the gold standard. There’s no packed itinerary here and you shouldn’t try to create one. Swim, eat seafood, take a dolphin cruise on a dhoni at sunset, and let the days blur together. It’s the opposite of a European winter city break, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

8. Mt. Cayambe, Ecuador

I wanted to put Mt. Cayambe on my list of the best places to visit in winter because there’s nothing else like it. It’s Ecuador’s third-highest peak at 5,790 meters, the only snow-covered mountain on the equator, and about an hour from Quito. You go from tropical landscape to glacier in a few hours, which I still find hard to believe even having done it. Cayambe-Coca National Park surrounds it, entry is free, and there are hiking trails at various altitudes.

I’d recommend two things to add to your itinerary. The Papallacta hot springs are nearby at 3,300 meters and heated by volcanic activity underground. After a cold day hiking, they’re exactly what you need! And the Otavalo Market, one of South America’s biggest indigenous markets, is an easy side trip for handmade textiles and local food.

• Read next: Most Beautiful Places in Ecuador
• You may also like: Enchanting Spots in the Andes Mountains

9. Paris, France

I’ve visited Paris in summer and I’ve visited in January, and January was better. Everything you came for is still there, but the crowds aren’t. The Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre…all of it is easier to enjoy when you’re not shoulder-to-shoulder with other tourists. Hotels are cheaper too, especially between January and early March.

Winter in Paris is really about slowing down and eating well. Sit in a café in Saint-Germain with a chocolat chaud, walk along the Seine in the late afternoon when the Eiffel Tower lights come on, and ice skate at Hôtel de Ville in the evening. It’s a city that works in any season, but I think the colder months bring out a side of Paris that the summer rush covers up.

• Read next: Most Beautiful Places in France

10. Seoul, South Korea

If you like eating well and spending very little, put Seoul on your winter list. The city gets cold (expect -5 to 5°C between December and February), but Korean food is built for that. I’d point you toward hotteok (sweet filled pancakes) from street vendors, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) at a plastic table in Dongdaemun, and Korean BBQ where you cook at your table for a fraction of what you’d pay in Tokyo. From mid-December through late January, the Seoul Lantern Festival lights up Cheonggyecheon Stream with hundreds of handcrafted paper lanterns on the water. It’s free and you can walk it in an evening.

I’d also make time for Gyeongbokgung Palace. Rent a hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) and you get free entry, and the palace grounds look incredible under snow. Ski resorts are under an hour from downtown if you want a day on the slopes. The metro covers the whole city for next to nothing, and the overall cost of a trip here is way below other major Asian capitals!

• Read next: Most Beautiful Places in South Korea
• You may also like: Unique Places to Eat in Seoul

11. St. Lucia

St. Lucia does one thing extremely well as a winter destination: it gives you warm weather, clear water, and zero planning stress. December through April is dry season, the Caribbean side is flat calm for snorkeling and swimming, and the island is small enough to explore without a packed schedule. The Pitons are the reason this island is on everyone’s bucket list, and they look even better from the water on a catamaran trip along the coast.

I’d base myself near Soufrière to be close to the Pitons, the Sulphur Springs mud baths, and the best snorkeling at Anse Chastanet. Eat at the beachside restaurants, take a boat out for an afternoon, and don’t try to cram too much in. St. Lucia is a place to slow right down. Flights from the US east coast are direct and short, which makes it one of the easier Caribbean islands to reach for a quick winter escape!

• Read next: Amazing Experiences in the Caribbean

12. St. Moritz, Switzerland

St. Moritz has been the gold standard for winter holidays since the 1860s, and I don’t think anything has overtaken it. The skiing is outstanding, the town is beautiful, and the frozen lake hosts events you literally cannot see anywhere else. In late January, the Snow Polo World Cup (January 22-24, 2027) brings six international teams to play polo on the ice in front of 25,000 spectators. In February, White Turf celebrates its 120th anniversary with horse racing and skijöring across three Sundays on the same frozen lake.

I’d also recommend the Bernina Express train from St. Moritz to Tirano in Italy, a UNESCO route that runs through winter and crosses some of the most dramatic alpine scenery in Europe. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and mountain lodge lunches round out the days. Yes, it’s expensive. St. Moritz has never pretended to be a budget destination. But if you’re going to splurge on one winter trip, this would be the one I’d pick!